What makes European car brands so special?
Most people would say that it is down to the quality of their cars. Indeed, European car brands are some of the best in the world when it comes to build-quality and good design. But there’s more to a car than simply its look – it also needs to be reliable, comfortable and safe.
European car brands take these factors into account and make sure everything works as it should, so that you can feel safe in your ride. And just like how the European Union is an organisation with a clear idea of what it wants to achieve, each of the member states takes its own approach in deciding which car brands are best on its own ground.
Here’s a roundup of the top car brands in Europe (car manufacturers, not car models):
10. Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Group is the largest and most diverse car manufacturer in Europe. The German company has three brands: Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. It also has a number of subsidiaries, including Skoda Auto – a Czech car maker that produces cars under the VW and Skoda brands.
9. Mercedes-Benz
It’s parent company Daimler AG was founded by Gottlieb Daimler (yes, he invented the first internal combustion engine) in 1863 as an engineering firm to build his cars for private use but quickly branched into locomotives and bicycles too. Today it manufactures both cars (Mercedes-Benz) and trucks (Daimler Trucks). Its other subsidiary brand is Smart Automobile which designs small city cars based on its Smart For Two model. This explains why one of my favourite French actors Nicolas Duvoisin drives around Paris wearing a smart uniform.
8. BMW
BMW was founded by Wilhelm Maybach and Siegfried Marcus in 1917 as an aircraft engine manufacturer but became a car brand when its first cars were produced in 1926. It has two subsidiaries, Mini (which makes the world’s best selling small economy car) and Rolls-Royce which builds luxury cars with names like Phantom, Ghost, Dawn and Wraith.
7. Renault/Nissan
The French company Renault was founded by Louis Renault who built his first motorcar in 1898 but it wasn’t until 1902 that he went into business for himself to make vehicles based on his own designs – called Lagaut et Cie or Établissement de Constructions Automobiles (a bit of a mouthful.). The name was later changed to Société des Automobiles Renault which is now known simply as Nissan; the Japanese subsidiary produces Infiniti models under this brand name too. Today it has two main brands – Renault and Dacia which are sold through outlets across Europe from Portugal to Poland. Its other sister company is Nissan Motor Co Ltd, Japan’s second largest automobile maker after Toyota Motors.
6. Toyota
The Japanese company that makes the best selling cars in Europe is called Toyota – which means ‘I go’. It was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda who went into business with Sakichi O.Toyoda (no relation) and they formed what was to become one of the world’s largest automotive companies. Today it has a number of brands including Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu and Hino Motors but its most famous brand is probably still Toyota itself because of all those safety features.
5. Honda
Honda was founded in 1948 by Soichiro Honda who had previously worked for two other car companies – Kyu-sho Motors (which later became Kansai Aircraft Manufacturing Company) and Shokugyo (which later became Toyoda Automatic Loom Works). He designed his first prototype motorcar in 1933 but didn’t start producing it until 1949. Today it has a number of brands including Acura, which is sold across Europe from France to Spain.
4. Mazda
Mazda was founded in 1934 by Jujiro Matsuda who had previously worked for Toyoda Automatic Loom Works and Nihon Sangyo. His first car, the Type 90, was produced in 1937 but it wasn’t until 1947 that his company went into business for itself to make vehicles based on its own designs – called Toyo Kogyo or Mazda Motor Corporation (which is what you’ll see on most of its cars today). It has three main brands – Mazda, which is sold in Europe from France to Spain; Ford’s European operations (which make the Focus and Mondeo models); and Mitsubishi Motors.
3. Alfa Romeo/Fiat
The Italian company was founded in 1910 by Dante Giacosa and his son, Luigi but the first car to be built under that name was the 4C on which it based its business. Today it has two main brands – Alfa Romeo (which is sold in Europe from France to Spain) and Fiat, which is sold in Italy.
2. Citroen/Peugeot
The company was founded by André-Gustave Citroën after he set up a car plant at the beginning of World War I (in 1914). The first Citroën was a tricycle but it soon moved into cars and its first model, the A-7, appeared in 1919. It went on to become one of the world’s largest car companies and now has two main brands – Peugeot (which is sold in France) and Citroën (which is sold in Europe from France to Spain).
1. Renault/Nissan (fka Datsun)
The Japanese company was founded in 1899 by Shojiro Nissan, who had previously worked for Mitsubishi Motors and Nihon Sangyo. It took over the French car manufacturer Darracq in 1934 but its first car, the Renault Dauphine, wasn’t produced until 1932. Today it has two main brands – Nissan (which makes the Juke model) and Renault (which is sold in France). Nissan is actually the older of the two brands – it was set up in 1934 and Datsun only became Nissan a year later.
That concludes our roundup of the top car brands in Europe, but there are many more to choose from. If you think your favourite car brand should be on this list – or if there’s one that we’ve missed, please let us know.
How many of the top car brands in Europe are you aware of? Which of them do you think should be on here? Let us know.